Safety bar



Jan. 11, 1966 J, F. AUGUSTINE 3,

SAFETY BAR Filed April 29, 1963 1 JOHN F. AUGUSTINE INVENTOR.

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United States Patent Ofiice 3,228,038 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 3,228,038 SAFETY BAR John Frank Augustine, 2 Palmer Road, Three Rivers, Mass. Filed Apr. 29, 1963, Ser. N 276,244 1 Claim. (Cl. 4185) This invention relates to a safety bar and, more particularly, to apparatus arranged to be used with a bathtub to assist aged or infirm persons in getting in and out of the tub.

It is well known that one of the most frequent causes of accidents is that of slipping in the bathtub, this accident occurring most often when getting in and out. This is because the average bathtub usually has an enameled or baked surface that is made very smooth for ease in cleaning but, of course, this smooth surface combines with soap to provide a rather dangerous situation. It is common practice to provide bathtubs with safety rails, particularly where infirm or aged persons are to use the tub. However, most of these safety bars of the past have been less than adequate because they are so high up on the wall that the person using them must rise before he is able to get a grip on the safety bar. Some rails of this type have been provided which operate close to the top edge of the bathtub, but these have been unsightly and have not been capable of being removed when a normal person is using the bathtub. Safety bars of the past also have had protruding arms and legs and sharp corners which are in a danger of themselves and, of course, are more difiicult to keep clean. These and other difficulties experience with the prior art devices, have been obviated in a novel manner by the present inventron.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a safety bar which operates close to the upper edge of the bathtub in the central portion thereof for ready access by the user.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a safety bar which normally operates close to the tub but which may be moved into an inoperative position away from the bathtub.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a safety bar having no protruding or sharp corners capable of hurting the user.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a safety bar which is simple in construction, easy to keep clean, which may be inexpensively manufactured and is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintenance.

With these and other objects in View, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claim appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safety bar embodying the principles of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the invention.

Referring first to FIG. 1, wherein are best shown the general features of the invention, the safety bar, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown in use with a bathtub 11, along one end of which extends a vertical wall 12. The bathtub is provided in the usual way with a recess 13 around which extends a horizontal upper edge surface 14.

The safety bar consists of a main member 15 and two brackets 16 and 17. The main member 15 is generally U-shaped in plan view and is provided with a bight 18 from the ends of which extend legs 19 and 21. The main member 15 is formed of a continuous piece of tubular metal, preferably chrome plated. The bight consists of a straight horizontal portion 22 at the ends of which are connected straight, substantially vertical end members 23 and 24. As is evident in FIG. 1, the end members 23 and 24 extend at a right angle to the horizontal portion 22 in a plane which is substantially vertical and parallel to the surface of the Wall 12. As is further evident in FIG. 3, the same end members 23 and 24 extend at a very large acute angle to their respective legs 19 and 21. Because the end members 23 and 24 and the horizontal portion 22 lie in a vertical plane, it can be seen that the legs 19 and 21 slope at a substantial angle relative to the horizontal upper edge surface 14 of the bathtub 11, because the free end of the leg 19 is pivotally attached to the bracket 16, and the free end of the leg 21 is attached to the bracket 17, the brackets being secured to the Wall a distance above the upper run of the tub.

Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the bracket 16 is formed of sheet metal. The sheet metal is formed in a generally U-shaped form providing a bight 25 having at least two apertures to permit the bracket to be fastened to the surface of the wall 12. Extending from the sides of the bight are flanges 26 and 27 which are provided, respectively, with apertures 28 and 29, these apertures being on a horizontal line parallel to the surface of the wall 12.

As is evident in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the end of the leg 19 is hingedly connected to the bracket 16 by means of a horizontal pivot member 31 which may be a bolt extending through the apertures 28 and 29 of the bracket. The bracket 17 is constructed in a manner similar to the bracket 16 and is hingedly attached to the free end of the leg 21 by means of a pivot member 32. The brackets, of course, are mounted on the wall 12 so that all of the apertures in their flanges line up on a single horizontal line parallel to the surface of the wall 12 so that the pivotal axis of both legs 19 and 21 is the same. It should be noted that the flanges 26 and 27 extend above the apertures 28 and 29 a substantial distance. When the pivot member is tightly drawn up (as it would be in the case of a bolt), the main member 15 may be moved into the dotted position indicated by the reference numeral 15' and will stay in that position because of the friction between the upper portions of the flanges 26 and 27 and the surface of the legs 19 and 21, respectively. In the preferred embodiment, both brackets and main member should be formed of materials which are not readily corroded and which may be easily cleaned. This would be either chrome-plated steel or stainless steel.

The operation of the invention will now be readily understood in view of the above description' With the main member 15 shown in lower operative position in the drawings, the user has only to put his weight on the horizontal portion 22 of the bight 18 and to use it in getting into the bathtub or getting out. The bar is in the intermediate position of the bathtub, which is an ideal position. Furthermore, it is in a low position where, when one is in the bathtub, the bar may be grasped without reaching up or without attempting to rise before having a firm hold on the bar. Furthermore, since the main member is formed from one continuous piece of tube and since the junctions between the legs 19 and 21 and their respective end members 23 and 24 and between the horizontal portion 22 and the end members 23 and 24 are formed by smooth curved radius bends, there are no sharp edges to injure the user or to cause him discomfort in any way. Furthermore, when the bar is not in use it may be raised to the inoperative position shown in FIG. 1 where, under certain circumstances, it may be used for supporting a towel.

It should be noted that, since the junction between the legs 19 and 21 and the end members 23 and 24 rest on the horizontal surface 14 of the bathtub and since the weight is brought to bear directly on the end members 23 and 24, very little force is transmitted back through the pivot members 31 and 32 and to the brackets and the wall 12. This means that one of the common problems with this type of device, i.e., providing a very substantial fastening between the safety bar and the wall is not necessary. Ordinary fastening members may be used through the bight 25 of the brackets to hold them to the wall, since the force of the weight of the person using the bar is transmitted only to a small extent to the brackets but is carried directly by the bathtub surface at the junctions of the legs 19 and 21 with the end members 23 and 24, respectively.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, What is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A safety bar for use with a bathtub with a vertical Wall at one end, comprising (a) a main member of generally U-shaped configuration with a bight and two legs extending from the ends of the bight, and

(b) a bracket hingedly fastened to the free end of each leg and adapted to be fastened to the wall, the legs extending downwardly away from the wall and the brackets when the bar is in operative position so that the junctions between the legs and the bight rest on the upper surface of the bathtub, each bracket being formed from a single sheet of metal folded into a U-shaped configuration having a central bight adapted to be fastened to the walland two flanges extending at right angles to the wall in vertical planes, the free end of each leg lying between the flanges of its bracket and being hingedly connected thereto by a horizontal pivot member, the flanges of the bracket extending vertically above the pivot member a substantial distance to embrace a considerable portion of the leg with substantial friction to hold the main member in an inoperative position against the wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,059,171 10/1936 Harris 4185 2,698,440 1/1955 Lyons 4254 2,817,095 12/1957 Jeffries 4-185 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, LEWIS J. LENNY. Examiners. 

